1.  Yard Maintenance - Keep leaves and grass out of streets, drainage ditches, storm drains and creeks.  Leave grass clippings on the lawn as they are a natural fertilizer.  Compost your plant clippings, leaves and other plant material.  Set your blade higher on your mower to reduce stress to the grass and help develop and drought and pest-resistant root system.

2.  Fertilizer - Test your soil before you apply fertilizer as it may not need any and applying may do more harm than good.  Check with your Cooperative Extension Service for soil testing kits.  Always remember to not apply fertilizer before a heavy rain is forecasted.

3.  Pests - Try to use non-toxic or least toxic methods and products such as traps, horticultural oils and insecticide soaps.  Always read the product warning labels first and store leftover pesticides in closed containers behind lock and key.

4.  Watering - With the lack of natural rainwater, we have to make the most out of the water we give our plants and flowers.  Water early in the morning and keep in mind that a good soaking is far more beneficial than a quick spray.  Soaker hoses covered with pine needles, bark or mulch do wonders to keep the soil cooler and prevent moisture from evaporating quickly.  See our gardening tip below for a great suggestion on collecting rainwater!!

5.  Plant Choices - Where possible, try to keep plants that can tolerate the heat and lack of moisture together in one bed and combine the ones that do need more water in another bed.  Daylilies and Bearded Iris are excellent perennials that, once established, can stand some torture.

6.  Bed Preparations - When you make a new bed, make sure you loosen the dirt to a depth of 12-18 inches.  This makes it easy for the roots to develop as well as aiding the soil to better retain moisture.

7.  Bed Maintenance - Make sure that when flowers are bloomed out, you dispose of them properly.  Don't let them just fall on the ground as this may cause rotting and disease that you have to fight against later.  Be proactive....it will promote prolific flowering and keep the plant looking healthy and neat.

8.  Deer Resistant Bulbs - Some bulbs are not on a deer's menu...if you have problems with deer, consider some of these for your garden:  Alliums, Chionodoxa, Daffodils, Fritillaria, Hyacinths, Leucojum, Muscari, Narcissus, Scilla and Galanthus.

We really have enjoyed getting your pictures for our contest...we are looking forward to seeing more wonderful photos of your gardens this year!

Create a simple rain barrel by using a heavy-duty trash can with a hole cut in the top covered with piece of nylon-mesh screening to keep out mosquitoes.  Place it under a downspout to collect water for your garden...you can add an outdoor-grade faucet for easy dispensing into a watering container.  (From Organic Gardening Magazine, July/August 2002)

If your tip is being used in our newsletter, you will receive a $10.00 gift certificate also redeemable for any items in our catalogs!  Email us your tip today!

Now is the time to start thinking about some of the changes you would like to make...plants you liked; trees and shrubs that have grown too tall and now give too much shade for those sun-loving bulbs & perennials; different color schemes or perennials that have suddenly grown too tall and taken over a portion of your garden.

Calla Aethiopica	Fritillaria Rubra	Tulip Silver Dollar

Work up a plan and get that garden back into shape...ever try to plant 25 of one variety of Tulips in a spot and repeat it several times throughout an area?  You can have larger bare spots in between the plantings and fill those with annuals later in the Spring.  (This makes weeding a lot easier as well!!)

For Fall, all orders over $50.00 receive 10 FREE Yellow Daffodils, and, when you sign our guestbook, you will get a 10% discount on your first online order.  Remember to order early to ensure availability!

If you need or want a copy of our Fall 2002 catalog mailed to you, send us an email at info@touchofnature.com with your address and we will be happy to send it to you!